Ark Hunters
by Writes with Block
Summary: In order to find the remaining Arks the Spriggan inlist the help of a young polish scientist. Non-yaoi. CHAPTER SIX UP!
1. Chapter One

Ark Hunters  
  
A Spriggan Fanfic  
  
By: Writes with Block  
  
****  
  
Author's notes: I started writing this a real long time ago and I kind of gave up on it. I found my Spriggan DVD after the move and I watched it and I started writing this again. So today I decided I'd post it cause there aren't many Spriggan fanfics out there (trust me I've looked) and I've never found a romantic Spriggan fanfic that's not yaoi. I'm not anti-yaoi I'm just not a fan of it. So I hope you enjoy and please review.  
  
****  
  
Disclaimer: Spriggan does not belong to me. Well my DVD does but not the whole of the Spriggan realm. But my b-day is coming up and if anyone is looking for a gift idea there you have it.  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Did you get her?" Jean asked as the door was opened.  
  
Yu dragged a burlap sack into the room and leaned against a wall.  
  
"You put her in a bag?" Jean asked getting to his feet.  
  
"She wouldn't stop kicking."  
  
"But a bag Ominai?"  
  
"She's here," Yu snorted.  
  
Jean rolled his eyes and opened the bag. A fist came whizzing out and clipped his jaw. Jean fell flat on his butt, a surprised look on his face.  
  
The person in the bag scrambled out and scuttled across the floor. She encountered the wall and huddled against it, staring at the two young men with wary, fearful eyes.  
  
"I'm going to take a shower," Yu said and jogged out of the room.  
  
"My lady," Jean said, his voice soothing, getting to his feet. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Jean-Jacques Mondo. Spriggan France. My uncouth comrade is Ominai Yu. Spriggan Japan."  
  
The young woman stared at him silently.   
  
"I am sure you're wondering why we have brought you here."  
  
"You want my cold fusion formula."  
  
Jean chuckled softly. "You're half way correct. There are people who want your formula. We've brought you here to protect you from them."  
  
"Why would you do that?"  
  
"Well, that formula is very important. If it were to fall into the wrong hands." Jean shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"What did you mean 'half way right?' "  
  
"You're not only here for protection. We need a favor."  
  
"Of course you do," she snorted.  
  
Jean smiled. "Have you ever heard of the Arks?"  
  
"Rumors. My father used to work for the Turkish government."  
  
"Did you hear that they can destroy the world?"  
  
"I was thinking that was just a rumor," Lane grumbled. "Then I guess the rumor about you not knowing where they are is also true."  
  
"You're correct. And you're going to help us find them."  
  
"With my psychedelic powers?" Lane asked sarcastically.  
  
"What is the oldest language in the world?"  
  
"Numbers."  
  
"Right again."  
  
Jean went to a desk across the room and drew a long envelope from it. He took long sheets of paper from it and walked back to Lane. He handed them to her.  
  
"Would you look these papers over?" he asked. "Its a code of some kind but I'm unable to read it."  
  
Lane glared at him for a long moment and then took the papers from him and studied them. She ran her fingers down the long papers, mumbling under her breath.  
  
"There's no obvious pattern except the use of prime numbers." Lane flipped through the papers. "There are also some simple logarithms. Its map coordinates!"  
  
"I knew you would break it."  
  
"This is hardly going to save the world," Lane replied shaking the papers at him. "Its been more than a hundred years since these have been written down. In the last two years alone the Egyptian pyrimads have move south by more than three miles. You'll never be able to find the stuff these coordinates pin point."  
  
"If we were able to figure out the amount of error could you adjust the coordinates?"  
  
"Yes but they'd be highly inaccurate."  
  
"How inaccurate?"  
  
"That depends. Some places drifted north, others drift east. We'd have to search for any number of miles in all directions. It'll take allot of time."  
  
"How much time?"  
  
"Depends on where you are. Hot places drift more than others. Colder areas drift less. Then there's the whole shifting of the planet on its axis and if whoever wrote this down used the sun for calculations we're screwed."  
  
"What about the stars?"  
  
"That would be perfect. It takes thousands of years for us to see a change in the stars. And everyone knows the major stars. North star, big dipper, the Ursa major and minor."  
  
"So if we could get the amount of error and used the stars as a guide you could lead us to the Arks?"  
  
"Not directly to them but within a hundred miles on every side. And I'm guessing that's better than anything you've got right now."  
  
Jean smiled and sat next to her on the floor. "So you will help us?"  
  
"Do I really have a choice?" Lane asked. "If I don't you'll toss me aside and the Turkish government will find me again and this time I don't think they're going to be very patient. They killed my father and they'll kill me too to get my formula."  
  
"You're not afraid?" Jean asked, one brown quirked in surprise.  
  
"Not really," Lane answered with a shrug. "They don't know what I know."  
  
"And what exactly is that? I am the good guy. ARCAM is the good guy."  
  
"Oh I know that. My father was talking about turning to ARCAM and its Spriggan before he was killed. My formula. It isn't complete. Not even close. I've been stuck in the same place for the last four years."  
  
Jean's brows shot up in surprise.  
  
Lane chuckled knowingly. "Everyone thinks I'm about to stumble onto the secret of cold fusion but everyone is wrong. I'm at least ten years of intensive study away from even scratching the surface of this most recent stumbling block."  
  
"Why the deception?"  
  
"Think about it. I'm a seventeen year old Polish girl whose father sought aslium in the Czech Republic, sold that countries secrets to Germans, and then got killed by the Turks because of the formula. They thought it was his. They have no idea its actually mine."  
  
"You're a smart girl," Jean said, genuine pleasure in his voice. "I'm glad you're on our side."  
  
Lane nodded and picked up the papers again. "This code is amazing. The people who wrote this...its so simple and yet its...." She flapped the papers in Jean's direction. "This could take months to figure out with nothing to go on."  
  
"I can help you there. We've found one site all ready by luck. You can use its position to help reak the code, right?"  
  
"Sure can. Where is it?"  
  
"Here in Turkey. When Ominai gets out of the shower we will take you there." 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
"Take this," Jean said, opening the glove compartment and pulling out a black box.  
  
"What is it?" Lane asked, leaning forward to take it.  
  
"GPS, nuclear clock, grids, satellites markers, everything you need to pinpoint the sites as close as you can. When you input the rate of error and the coordinates of this ark it'll help calculate the coordinates of the next site."  
  
Lane pulled the computer out. It was half the size of her forearm, with two monitor screens and a small keypad.  
  
"Strap it around your forearm," Jean explained. "And push the green button to turn it on."  
  
"This thing is cool," Lane said, watching the digital layouts come to life. "I thought I was going to have to do all the numbers by hand."  
  
"This is yours too," Yu said and handed back a black bag.  
  
"Oh," Lane said and took it.  
  
Inside was a heavy, waterproof jacket, a black beanie, a pair of heavy gloves, a cell phone, a camera, a thin laptop computer, and a heavy pair of binoculars.  
  
"Cool," Lane whistled and pulled out the binoculars and putting them to her eyes. She was surprised by the detail she could see clearly.  
  
"You'll want to put the heavier clothes on soon. The ark is up in the mountains."  
  
"Which ones?"  
  
"Up there," Jean said, pointing out the window. "Near the very top."  
  
"Fantastic. Get to freeze to death. Do you have the longitude and latitude for the ark site?"  
  
Yu opened the glove compartment and pulled out a small pack of papers. He tossed it back to her and she caught it.  
  
She entered the numbers into the computer on her forearm and watches as several read outs flashed across the screen. "The exact GPS position will help with the correction but I'm really going to have to see the stars to get this figured out."  
  
"You'll see them. It takes eleven hours to get up to the mountain summit," Jean said.  
  
Lane whistled and glanced out the window. "I'm gonna take a nap then," she said and laid down on the seats, pillowing her head on her bag.  
  
*****  
  
Lane woke when the jeep slowed around a curve. She sat up blinking groggily and glanced around.  
  
Jean was still driving and Yu had fallen asleep with his head against the window.  
  
It was dusk, the sun was nearly set. They were high above the city, deep into the mountains.  
  
"My chest hurts," Lane said, pressing one hand against her breast, wincing with ache.  
  
"The air is very thin up here," Jean explained, his voice thin and flat. "You're suffering from lack of oxygen."  
  
Lane tried to take a deep breath and ended up doubled over, coughing harshly into her hands.  
  
"Be careful," Jean advised. "Don't breath deeply. You'll choke. Breath in your nose and out your mouth. We have oxygen masks for when we reach the summit."  
  
"This is why I hate flying," Lane mumbled, rubbing at her popping ears. "But in a plane you don't suffer like this."  
  
"As we get higher you are going to feel weak and drowsy. I'm going slowly to give us time to adjust but you'll still feel the effects."  
  
Lane fell back against her seat with a groan. "I hope all these arks aren't in mountains."  
  
"It would make sense though."  
  
"Uh?"  
  
"No one in their right mind would go this high into the mountains unless they had a very good reason. It helps keep the arks hidden."  
  
Lane rubbed her throat and nodded. Talking stained her throat and made it feel tight.  
  
Yu woke with a gasp and started coughing roughly.  
  
"All right Yu?" Jean asked.  
  
"Yeah," Yu grumbled. "How long?"  
  
"Twenty minutes."  
  
"Get your binoculars," Yu said to Lane, "and push the green button."  
  
Lane did as she was told and raised them to her eyes.  
  
"Night vision!"  
  
Everything was outlined clearly in green and black. She scooted to the window and stuck her head out. Up at the very top of the rock ledge closest to them were bright lights and people.  
  
"Is that it?" Lane shouted, trying to get her voice to carry in the thin air.  
  
"We," Jean answered.  
  
Lane ducked back into the jeep, rubbing the cold out of her face.  
  
"You should get dressed before we reach the summit," Yu said, pulling heavy clothes out of his own bag.  
  
Lane followed his instructions, pulling her coat, hat, and gloves on. She kept raising the binoculars to her eyes as they climbed higher into mountain.  
  
"How many people are up there?"  
  
"Fifteen," Yu answered. "And they're all getting ready to leave. We've shut this ark down all ready but ARCAM thought you should see it."  
  
Jean pulled the jeep into what looked like a make shift parking lot and everyone climbed down.  
  
Lane scrambled out of the jeep first, pulling her bag onto her back, and jumping ahead of the two Spriggan.  
  
Yu hung back by the jeep as Jean pulled on his winter wear and kept a close watch on Lane as she trotted a few feet ahead, the binoculars glued to her face.  
  
"How far up is it?" Lane shouted, twisting back so Yu could hear her.  
  
"Fifty yards to the ark summit," Yu answered.  
  
"Hot dang," Lane mumbled, staring up toward the summit. She glanced at her wrist computer and then back up to the summit.  
  
"Lets get up there," Jean said, shouldering a duffel bag.  
  
"We're not climbing fifty yards are we?" Lane asked.  
  
"No. An elevator will take us most of the way. Come on."  
  
Lane followed Yu and Jean to the elevator, staring out at the mountain with her binoculars.  
  
The elevator started with a harsh grind and a jump. Lane steadied herself and then stuck her head out the open elevator, the binoculars against her eyes  
  
"Avisé," Jean advised, pulling Lane back from the open door. "You don't want to fall out, no? The ride is quite long. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy the view cher."  
  
The view was mostly dark rocks and dim lights. Lane quickly lost interest and joined Jean and Yu in leaning against the elevator with a bored expression. The elevator jerked and sputtered its way up the mountain face slowly. Lane sank to the floor, resting her head on her bag.  
  
The temperature dropped quicker and quicker as they continued on the journey to the Ark. The air got thinner and Lane began to feel tired and drowsy. Her eyes closed slowly and it felt like to much of a struggle to open them. Her head teetered off her bag and fell against something solid. Just as consciousness began to escape her Lane felt something pushed roughly against her face. She gasped in surprise and struggled.  
  
"Almost fell asleep cher," said a muffled voice and Lane looked up.  
  
Both Yu and Jean were looking down at her, oxygen masks over their faces. Jean helped her to her feet, her knees were trembling to much for her to stand on her own, and held the mask over her face until she was steady enough to hold it on her own.  
  
"You'll get used to it in a second," Yu said shortly.  
  
Lane took a deep breath and fell to the floor, unconscious.  
  
*******  
  
Ah this is such a crap chapter. The only reason I wrote it was because I got my very first review today!!!! Thank you neko-chan!!!!!!!! *hugs and pocky* I finished this chapter cause you asked for more. Hope you don't mind that its pretty much crap. I'll try to have another one done soon. Thanks for the nice review! 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
Lane shook her head, trying to clear away the cobwebs. She opened one eye slowly.  
  
"You okay?" Yu asked. He was sitting at her side, holding an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose.  
  
"Wha' happen?"  
  
"Lack of oxygen. You passed out."  
  
"My head hurts," she grumbled.  
  
"Your brain has been deprived of oxygen. Just keep breathing deeply." She raised a trembling hand to hold the mask on her own and Yu pushed it back to the ground. "Just sit back and rest."  
  
Yu watched her closely. Her breathing was slowly becoming deeper. Her green eyes slowly cleared and focused.  
  
"I'm feeling better now," she said, her voice muffled by the mask.  
  
"Hold the mask but don't stand up," Yu said. He watched as she raised her hand to the mask. It didn't tremble.  
  
"Where's Jean?"  
  
"He went ahead into the Ark to speak with one of the scientists."  
  
Lane sat up slowly, wincing as the muscles in her back pulled painfully. "What's inside the Ark anyway?"  
  
"I haven't been inside this one."  
  
"What about the other one?"  
  
"Dinosaurs."  
  
"I'm sorry?"  
  
"It was full of dinosaurs," Yu repeated.  
  
Lane tried to think of something to say to that but couldn't think of anything so she settled with breathing deeply. Her face was cold and so were her hands. She wondered idly where her gloves had gone and she noticed them in Yu's lap.  
  
'Why did he take my gloves off?' she wondered and then jumped when Yu pinched one of her fingers.  
  
"That hurt!"  
  
"You're fine. Get up."  
  
Lane stood, closing her eyes against a sudden fit of dizziness. She backed up when Yu leaned toward her, fearful that he would pinch her again, but he simply slid the plastic bands on the oxygen mask over her ears, securing it there before stepping away.  
  
"Thanks," Lane mumbled. She pulled back on her gloves when Yu offered them and took the small oxygen tank from him.  
  
"Come on. We're going into the Ark."  
  
Lane followed him up a snow covered path, trying to step in his footprints and failing miserably. People passed them on the patch, all of them walking the other way. Many said short greetings to Yu which he returned cheerfully. No one said anything to her but most gave her a glance. Some even gave her a passing nod.  
  
"Ah! Cher!" Jean waved as he walked down the path, coming out from around a blind bend. "Glad to see you're all right. Come. The ark is about to be closed."  
  
***  
  
"What the crap," Lane mumbled.  
  
"That's what I said," Yu said, walking past her.  
  
"Not very elegant but it does have a certain ring," Jean chuckled, following Yu.  
  
The Spriggan's comments when unnoticed as she stared, open-mouthed, at the Ark. It was huge, the most immense structure she had ever seen. Spot lights illuminated every corner of the ship, making the huge eagle's face carved into the helm stand out in sharp contrasts of shadow and light. All the short hairs on Lane's arms and the back of her neck suddenly stood up on end and she felt something like a line of electricity run down her spine.  
  
"My God," she breathed.  
  
"Not quite," Jean replied.  
  
"But McDougall thought so."  
  
Lane was unable to answer them. Her eyes were so wide they were nearly popping out of her skull. She had never, in her life, seen anything like this. It was simply....  
"Amazing."  
  
"Yeah," Yu said. "And it'll blow up the world."  
  
"Come on cheri," Jean said, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask. "Lets go inside."  
  
"Yeah," Lane said. She took a deep breath and stepped into the ship.  
  
******  
  
HA HA HA HA HA!!! A cliff hanger. I've gotten really good at writing these. ^___^ What's going to be in the ark? More dinosaurs? Peanut butter cookies? I guess you'll just have to wait and find out. Thank you very much for the nice reviews neko-chan and thanks very, very much for suggesting this little fic to a friend of yours.  
  
Hopefully I'll have a new chapter up soon. Espically since this was a cliff hanger. I'll try to work on it while I'm at work. And since I work all week I should get at least something done. Thanks for sticking with me. ^____^  
  
Jo 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
"What's with that face?" Yu asked.  
  
"Disappointed cher?" Jean chuckled.  
  
"Hell yeah! There's nothing here!" Lane shouted. "You brought me all the way up here to show me nothing!? I passed out for this?"   
  
Her voice rang strangely in the massive, empty space. Their footsteps sounded oddly flat and incomplete.  
  
"Did you know it was empty?" Lane asked, her tone accusing.  
  
"Not me," Yu said, raising his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I've never been in here before."  
  
"And you?" Lane asked.  
  
"Oui cher," Jean answered. "I knew it was empty."  
  
"And you didn't tell me because?"  
  
Jean shrugged his shoulders lazily. "You needed to see the Ark, no? It makes no difference what is inside."  
  
Lane couldn't argue with his logic. "I wanted to see something weird," she mumbled and pouted.  
  
"This is only the beginning of our trip cher. There is much weirdness to come," Jean assured.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Yu said. "I'm freezing."  
  
******  
  
"This is for you."  
  
Lane looked up at the Japanese Spriggan. He was holding out a thin plastic card.  
  
"What is it?" she asked, taking it out of his hand.  
  
It was as thin as a piece of paper and gold in color. It shimmered in the dim light. A message was scrawled across it in a language she couldn't read. She tried to bend it and, to her amazement, couldn't.  
  
"A warning from the people who built the Arks."  
  
"What is it though? It looks like plastic but it won't bend."  
  
"We don't know," Yu answered. "All our test have come up empty."  
  
"What language is this?"  
  
"Hebrew."  
  
"Where did it come from?"  
  
"It was found in Turkey. Before that? Who knows."  
  
"What's it say?"  
  
"To the wise and just, we send this message from the past. Once there were many thriving civilizations on this planet. They are about to destroyed. Corruption and war prevail. Our civilization is in its decline. We hope that yours has a future," Yu recited darkly. "We leave behind the relics of our civilization scattered all over the world but if your people are not ready to use these relics wisely for the good of all, then we implore you to seal them away. Protect your legacy from evil forces. You must not follow the same path as us."  
  
"The same path?" Lane asked slowly, staring down at the plate in her hands.  
  
"They destroyed themselves with the arks," Jean answered. "They were greedy for power and brought about their ruin."  
  
"Why didn't they just destroy them then?"  
  
"They had hope that others could use them."  
  
"Then why bother to hide them?"  
  
"They thought that only the righteous would be able to find them," Yu answered. "But you can't just walk into an Ark after you've found it. You have to have the key."  
  
"Key?"  
  
"One of those plates has to activate the door of the Ark. Each Ark has a certain plate and none of the others will work on its door."  
  
Lane whistled between her teeth. "Those guys sure were serious about keeping these things secret." She paused. "But if I had a machine that could destroy the world I'd be hell bent on hiding it too. Which one does this belong too?" she asked excitedly, sitting forward to wave it in Yu's face.  
  
"We don't know. Hopefully one that we find quickly," Jean said.  
  
"Oh," Lane mumbled and sat back in disappointment. She turned the plate around in her hands, watching the dim light catch and reflect off of it. "Why are you giving it to me?"  
  
"I thought you might like it, no?" Jean answered, a chuckle behind his words.  
  
"Way cool," Lane mumbled, stowing the plate in her bag. "Where we headed now?"  
  
"Slovakia," Jean answered.  
  
Lane sat up in surprise, fear churning in her stomach. "Are you sure you're not trying to get me killed? Do you have any idea what they'll do to me if they find me?!"  
  
"They won't find you," Yu answered.  
  
"And how can you be so sure? The whole of the Czech police force was hunting my father down! You think they won't kill me just because he's dead? He betrayed them to the Turks, remember?!"  
  
"You are under the protect of the Spriggan now Lane," Jean assured. "The police won't dare go up against Arcam. Attacking you would be a direct attack on Arcam."  
  
"I'll remember that. It'll be a comforting thought when I'm dead!"  
  
"Everyone all ready believes you are dead. You have changed your name and dyed your hair. You were not seen anywhere near your father in the last five years of his life. I doubt anyone is still looking for you."  
  
"Doubt? Wouldn't it be allot better to know?"  
  
"Its not like we're going into the Czech Republic," Yu said, his tone impatient.  
  
"The people over there are trying to kill me so why don't I go next door?!" Lane shouted at him.  
  
"Quit whining!" Yu shouted back.  
  
"Its not whining! Its self preservation!"  
  
"Enough both of you," Jean said, his voice stern. "We would not put you in danger cher."  
  
Lane glared at him for a moment and finally sat back in her seat with a sigh.  
  
"Okay cher?"  
  
"Yeah," she answered. "Not like I have much of a choice."  
  
"Its not like police could take us down anyway," Yu grumbled.  
  
Jean rolled his eyes. 'How did I end up baby sitting both of them?' he wondered, hoping that they would both shut up for the rest of their time together.  
  
*******  
  
Author's notes: I'm really, really sorry this took so long. School has really been taking it out of me lately but don't worry I've all ready got most of chapter six done as well. It will hopefully be posted tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Again I'm REALLY REALLY sorry for the delay.  
  
Thank you very much to Neko-chan, Kat Warrior1, and Hyoyasha for leaving me such nice reviews. I haven't abandoned this sorry you guys. I've just been kinda busy but I promise I'll work on it more. Thanks again! ^__^ Ja ne.  
  
*goes to watch Spriggan DVD for more inspiration* 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
By: Writes with Block  
  
Lane looked around the hotel room with a broad smile on her face. Apparently ARCAM had no problems shelling out cash. She threw her bag down on the floor and flopped onto the bed. She could hear the two Spriggan talking about something in the main room but their words were indistinct. Closing her eyes Lane burrowed down in the bed, sighing.  
  
She didn't like the idea of being so close to the Czech republic but she had taken great lengths to make sure everyone thought she was dead. It had been five years since she'd changed her name and in all that time no one had come looking for her. That didn't go a long way to making her feel better about being in Slovakia but being with the Spriggan made her feel safe.  
  
She liked them both, even if they had kidnapped her. Yu was annoying with his cocky attitude and Jean seemed cold and distant sometimes but they were both nice to her. Yu was enthusiastic about his job, to the point where he wouldn't shut up about it, and was a great source of information. Jean was patient, repeating information as many times as she needed. And they were both quite handsome.  
  
Lane smiled at that thought and giggled slightly. Yu was cute in a funny, boyish sort of way. She hadn't asked him yet but she had the feeling they were the same age. Yu was scruffy and rough and allot of fun to hang around with. Jean, on the other hand, was handsome. With his long blond hair, deep blue eyes, and that French accent he was easily the sexiest guy she'd ever met. Not that he showed any interest in her but that was okay because he wasn't her type anyway. He was just a lovely piece of eye candy to enjoy on this little adventure.  
  
raising a lazy hand, Lane stuffed her arm into her bag and dug out the plate Yu had given to her. Rolling over on to her back she held it up to the light, studying it. She turned it over and over in her hands, running her fingers over its smooth surface. It was a perfect square, all sides were exactly the same length. The corners were clearly defined but even the point was utterly smooth. There was no sign of wear or damage on it at all and even her fingertips left no trace, no smudge of oil, no trace of a fingerprint.  
  
"What are you anyway?" she asked it softly. "Who made you? How old are you?" The plate of course offered no answer. "I'm beginning to think I've gotten myself into some really weird business. What exactly are Spriggan and what are the Arks?"  
  
Suddenly she realized that in her zeal to see the Ark she hadn't asked any questions about it. What did it do? How had they found it? What made the Arks so dangerous? How were they able to destroy the world? If this plate was indestructible what were they going to do about destroying them? Was it even possible? How do you destroy the indestructible?  
  
"Guess this is why they kidnapped me instead of asking me. If I'd had a chance to think it over I'd have said no." Lane sighed, her outstretched arm Falling to the bed. She stared at the ceiling, her thoughts in turmoil. "What have I gotten myself into?" She rolled over onto her stomach and continued to stare at the message plate. She'd been holding it for at least five minutes now but it remained unnaturally cold beneath her fingertips. "You're just a weird little plate but I've got this funny feeling about you. Almost like you're alive in someway. I'm keeping you close. You're gonna come in handy. I just know it."  
  
Lane tucked the plate into her front pocket. She'd have to find a way to carry it around more securely. Maybe there was a way to secure it to a long cord so she could wear it around her neck.  
  
There was a knock and the door opened. "Oi."  
  
Lane rolled over and sat up.  
  
Yu was standing in the doorway, a duffel bag in one hand. "This is for you," he said tossing the bag to her. "Food's here." With that he closed the door.  
  
Lane opened the bag and she snorted in surprise. It was full of clothes. T-shirts, jeans, socks, even bras and panties! How had they known what size to get?  
  
"I'm not going to ask," she said to herself, stuffing the clothes back into the bag. She hopped off the bed and joined the Spriggan in the main room. Both Spriggan were sitting in on the couches. Jean had his feet up on the coffee table and Yu was sitting by the TV, watching a show in Japanese. Boxes of pizza sat open in front of them, surrounded by various kinds of sodas.  
  
"Hungry cher?" Jean asked.  
  
"Hell yeah," Lane answered, making Jean chuckle. She sat down and proceeded to stuff her face much the way that Yu did.  
  
Jean rolled his eyes at the both of them, eating calmly.  
  
Once Lane's hunger was sated she turned to Jean. "What exactly are we doing?"  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to ask cher."  
  
"We're Ark hunting," Yu said shortly. "What more do ya need?"  
  
"What exactly are the Arks? Where did they come from? What exactly about them is so dangerous? How are you going to destroy them? What happens when we find an Ark? What do we do if we don't have the key?"  
  
"Calm, calm cher," Jean said gently. "Where would you like me to start."  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
"All right. Let me see. We do not know what the Arks are exactly. They are much like a computer in that you can enter commands but it is something much more than just a machine. We also do not know where they came from or who built them or how they had the ability to create them in the first place."  
  
"What do you know?"  
  
"I am getting there cher. The Arks can control the elements of the earth. The first ark that was found, the one on Mt. Ararat, could control the earth's atmosphere."  
  
"A weather machine?"  
  
"Oui cher."  
  
"Its a weather machine?"  
  
"The Ararat ark was. We are unsure about the others. They may have different purposes."  
  
"What about the one we went and saw?"  
  
"The scientists were unable to control it. They never turned it on."  
  
"How did they destroy it?"  
  
"The Ark has the ability to destroy themselves. It is quite simple to destroy it when you know how."  
  
"How do you know all this? Who taught you?"  
  
"We will talk about that later cher. It has been a long few days, no? We should rest."  
  
Lane nodded silently, wondering why Jean was so reluctant to speak about it. She turned to watch the TV screen, pulling the message plate fro her pocket and running her fingertips over it.  
  
"Hey werewolf," Yu said suddenly. "Why don't you tell her about McDougall."  
  
"Later Ominai," Jean said.  
  
'Werewolf?' Lane wondered but kept her thoughts to herself. Something else was going on here and she wasn't sure she wanted to know about it.  
  
*****  
  
And the suspense builds. ^__^ So that was a bit of foreshadowing. I worked on this chapter from about three this afternoon until six this evening. I deserve a cookie. I really like this chapter. Its the first time I've done any characterization with Lane and it turned out pretty good.  
  
Lets see....what else...hmmmm. Oh yeah. Yu calls Jean a werewolf. That's a reference back to the manga. In the manga, which was renamed Stricker in the US, when Jean sees the sight of his own blood he turns into a werewolf like creature. The manga deals allot with the occult and the paranormal and I'm gonna work that in as I keep going. I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep making references to the manga but I'll be sure to explain them all.  
  
Thanks for sticking with me and my procrastinating ways. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. Ja ne! ^__^ 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"How long has she been doing that?" Yu asked, leaning over to look out on to the balcony.

"For about an hour," Jean answered, stirring sugar into his coffee.

"And she hasn't swallowed it yet?"

"Guess not."

Yu's nose wrinkled as he continued to watch Lane. The young girl was sitting at the table on the balcony. Papers were spread all over the table in front of her and all her attention was on her mini-computer. The object of Yu's question was a plastic straw that dangled from the corner of Lane's mouth. It had been chewed to shreds and pieces were falling from it.

As Yu watched Lane's head fell forward and hit the table. She repeated the action three times and then didn't move.

"You sure she's not crazy?"

The French Spriggan laughed and finished his coffee. "She's just frustrated. She has been working with little results all morning."

"What's the problem?" Yu asked, opening the fridge.

"I do not know. I asked her but she will not speak to me. You try talking with her." Jean stood and pulled on his jacket.

"Where you going?" Yu asked, surprised.

"To talk with some scientists. I will be back later. Make her take a break."

"You can't leave her with me," Yu said, following Jean to the door.

"Why not?"

"Cause!"

"Cause?" Jean asked, highly amused. "Are you afraid of a little girl?"

While Yu stuttered and struggled for a witty reply, Jean chuckled. "Try to make her talk."

"This is stupid," Yu growled. He threw himself onto the couch. He could hear Lane beating her head against the table even through the glass door and turned around to look.

One of Lane's hands was fisted in her hair. The other was crumbling several pieces of paper. Her face was turning bright red and Yu wondered if she was even breathing. Her body slumped over the table suddenly and Yu was fairly certain she'd passed out from lack of oxygen.

'Jean'll kill me if she kicks it,' Yu thought with a scowl and strolled over to the balcony doors. He opened one, leaned against it and called, "Oi!"

"My life is trash," was Lane's despondent answer.

"Whatever," Yu drawled. "Let's go eat."

"Can't eat," Lane mumbled, her voice muffled by the table.

"Why the hell not?" Yu demanded.

"Cause I'm about to figure this out and if I take a break now I'll never get it."

"You can figure it out when we get back. I'm starving."

"No. I have to stay here. I've almost got this."

"The only thing you've almost got is a concussion. All you've done is beat your head on the table."

"Most of advanced mathematics rely on patterns. Numbers themselves are nothing but a firmly established pattern. A pattern is just another form of puzzle. Puzzles are figured out by repeatedly trying to solve the same pattern."

"So beating your head _repeatedly _on the table is part of a puzzle?"

Lane sighed and sat up. "I've been trying to figure out the pattern behind these numbers," she answered, waving the crumbled sheets at Yu.

He grabbed the small stack and straightened them. Written on all of them was a fourteen number sequence in several different patterns. "What is it?"

"All of these coordinates were written using simple logarithms based on prime numbers. These prime numbers are repeated over and over again and I don't know why."

"So?" Yu asked, falling into an empty chair.

"So, these numbers were used to create one of the most sophisticated mathematics codes I've ever seen. Understanding it will cut off hours of guess work when pinpointing an ark."

"Can you still find them without this?" Yu asked, waving the papers at Lane.

"Uh...yeah...I guess."

"Great!" Yu exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Let's go eat." He pulled Lane from her chair and dragged her back into the suite.

"Cut it out Yu!" Lane protested.

"I can't go anywhere without you and I'm starving," was the Spriggan's reply as he tossed Lane's coat over her head and shoved her out the door.

"I said cut it out!" Lane shouted, tugging her coat away from her face. "I have to finish my calculations!"

"Hungry!" Yu shouted back.

"So order room service you psychopath! Quit pushing me!" She tried to stomp on his foot but Yu danced away nimbly.

"Yer no match for a Spriggan," Yu said smugly as he dodged a sloppy punch. He grabbed Lane's arm and spun her around, pining both her arms to her sides with his own. "Let's go eat," he chuckled. The Spriggan pushed his foot into the back of Lane's knee, causing it to buckle and her to take a step forward.

"Let me go damn it!" Lane shouted. She struggled vainly, his grip was too tight. "You crazy son of a!"

Yu clamped a hand over her mouth, his eyes darting side to side. Someone was coming toward them and Yu could smell gunpowder.

"Stay still," he hissed in Lane's ear, shaking her roughly. "Someone's found us." Lane went still in his arms, her entire body tensed. "Be very quiet and don't move," Yu whispered and let go of her, swiftly darting down the hall.

The elevator was still and silent when he poked his head around the corner. There was a soft sound behind him and he whorled around. Lane was still pressed against the wall, her eyes wide and staring.

'They're in the room,' Yu realized. He motioned for Lane to move toward him but she continued to stare blankly, her feet rooted to the floor. Sighing mentally, he darted forward and dragged her with him toward the elevator. He paused at the metal doors, listening to the machinery whirling within.

'They're in the elevator too,' Yu thought. 'They're blocking us in. Which way out?' He gave Lane another shove away from the occupied room and elevator. He dragged her down the hall, listening intently to all the rooms they passed. Finding one empty, he quickly picked the lock and shoved Lane inside, carefully shutting the door behind them.

"Stay away from the windows," Yu ordered, keeping his ear to the door.

"What's going on?" Lane asked, her voice trembling.

"They've found us."

"What! Who?"

"Dunno," Yu replied, pushing himself away from the door. "Whoever's looking for us."

"You don't know?" Lane asked, following him as he hurried passed her.

"No. Stay away from windows!" He shoved her to the ground and hurriedly glanced around the room. "Stay here. _Don' t _move. They'll hear you."

Lane visibly paled and then turned a sick green color but she did as he said. Yu tread lightly out on to the balcony, hanging his head over the railing. There was a black sedan parked in front of the hotel that hadn't been there this morning. Scowling, Yu ducked back into the room.

'Must have waited 'til Jean left,' Yu thought. 'Wanted to split us up. Guess they're not completely stupid.' He'd been cooped up in this hotel for so long. A fight would do him good. A soft noise brought his attention back to Lane and he scowled. 'Can't fight if she's around. I hate this fucking mission.'

"We have to leave," he finally announced.

Before Lane could question him, the door knob rattled. Yu darted forward and clamped a hand over Lane's mouth before she screamed. He dragged her backward out on to the balcony.

"Son of a bitch," Yu mumbled.

He stooped and picked Lane up piggy back style, forcing her to wrap her arms around his neck. A manic smile spread across his face and jumped across to the next balcony. Lane's scream of fear was lost in a hail of bullets and Yu took a running leap to the next balcony. He landed awkwardly, his balance thrown of by having to hold onto Lane's legs. He barely had time to duck as bullets flew overhead.

"Stop choking me!" Yu shouted at Lane, trying to detangle his limbs from her.

"You're going to kill us before they do!" Lane shouted back.

"Shut up and stay still!" Yu glanced up when the gun fire stopped. 'Someone's coming around through the room,' he realized. 'We're on the corner. No more balconies.' "Shit," he spat. Pulling out a gun, he shoot at the balcony door, using his body to shelter Lane from the glass. He rushed into the room, pulling Lane after him, rushing across the room as the door splinter behind them and bullets hammered the room. Griting his teeth, Yu crashed through the great bay windows and jumped out, pulling Lane after him.

They fell straight down for a few, terrifying seconds before landing in the swimming pool. Crashing into water nearly knocked the air from Yu's lungs and he struggled to breath properly as he grasped a choking Lane and dragged her from the pool. Slowing only to flip off whoever might be watching them, he hurried into the crowded streets.

**I'm not sure where this chapter came from. I was sitting in history, fiddling with my Pocket PC, and then this chapter suddenly came out. I had part of it done previously but I wrote the bulk of it will I should have been listening about the growth of distrbution and effects of steamboats in 1840 America but whatever. I got an A on the quiz. I'll be all right. Hope you guys like the chapter.**

**Its real short and kind of rough but its here and it can always be worked on later. Hurray for updates!**


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